Roller guide



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 u n 9 a 9 g H w 5 H. m 5 M k 8 INVENTORS.

ARTHUR R. DIAMOND WILLIAM STEVER ATTORNEY July 2, 1946. A. R. DIAMONDETAL ROLLER GUIDE Filed Sept. 22, 1944 PICT.

PIG. 2

Patented July 2, 1946 UNITED srArEs PATENT OFFICE ROLLER GUIDE Arthur R.Diamond and William Stever, Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to Edward G.Budd Manufacturing Company,- Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Application September 22, 1944, Serial No. 555,223

7 Claims. 1

. peeping tool is similarly guided the desired effect will be achieved.When hand operated portable roller welders are used it is not easy forthe operator to guide the rolls in an accurate path, hence suitableguiding means are needed.

it is an object of the present invention to provide suitable means forguiding welding rolls and stock relative to each other so as to form anaccurate line of welds. Another object is to provide guide means of asimple form. Another object is to provide guide means which can bequickly applied to and removed from the rolls.

@ther objects and features will be apparent from the followingdescription of an exemplary embodiment of the invention, reference beingmade to the accompanying drawings thereof, wherein: I

i is a side elevation of a roller welder embodving the presentinvention;

2 is a side elevation of the rolls and a longitudinal section throughthe guide, the section being tahen on the line 22-42. of fig. d;

3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-? of l;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line l lof Fig. i;

5 is a longitudinal section taken on the line B -ii of Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modification;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken on the line ll-4 oi Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken on the line 8-d of Fig. 6.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, it is assumed that the rolls l 2; mounted ona portable yoke not shown, are to make a line of Welds t securing aflange l oi a stringer it to a sheet t. The other flange of the stringermay be secured by a similar line of welds to the sheet. In this form itis assumed that the welding roller i is guided between the central ridge1 of the stringer and a high return ,flange 8 on the outer edge ofthe'side flange 4 which is to be welded.

Upon the upper roller I. there is mounted a shoe-like guide 9 whichslides along the roller and stringer while the roller rolls along theflange of the stringer. The guide is provided with a lower portion illwhich closely but not tightlfv fits between the return flange a and theside of the ridge l.

The roller l is provided with an annular retaining groove ii on one Orboth sides and the guide is. provided with a longitudinal arcuate slotit to receive the roller. The guide is also provided with retainingmeans, such as a ball l3, adapted to ride in the groove ii of theroller. The ball is held in the groove it by any suitabl means,

such as a spring i l, the spring being held down by a holder, such asthe leaf spring l5 anchored by a screw it to the side of the guide 9. Aplate it may be interposed between the ball and the spring to promoteeasy turning of the ball. The ball, it, spring it, and plate ii aredisposed in a recess it in the guide 9 and there is another recess iiiin the other side of the guide to permit the ball to be placed in thegroove i i in the other side of the roller, the holding leaf spring l5and its screw it being transferred with the other parts.

The ball i? ha side play in the groove ii to provide radial movementbetween the guide 9 and roller l thus permitting the roller, whichprojects through the bottom of the guide, to freely engage the stool;for welding and permitting the guide to drop down by its own weight intothe channel of the stringer and accurately guide the roller. Then if theguide should be required to travel up or down curved surfaces it willstill guide accurately without binding.

The form shown in Figs. 6 to 8 is similar in gen eral to the form shownin Figs. 1 to 5 but is designed to guide along the ridge of thestringer, as where the side flanges are not provided with returnflanges. Moreover, provision is made for using two pairs of weldingrollers and welding both flanges to the sheet at one time.

Here the rolls 5, 2 make lines of welds 3 along the flanges 5' of astringer ii securing it to a sheet 5. The welding rollers are guidedalong the ridge '6 of the stringer 5' by a shoe-like guide 9 which isprovided with lower portions ill on the sides of a groove H! whichclosely but not tightly fits upon the ridge of the stringer.

The rollers i are provided with an annular retaining groove H on one orboth sides and the guide is provided with longitudinal arcuate slots 62'to receive the rollers I. The guide is also provided with retainingmeans, such as balls 13' adapted to ride in the grooves H of the 3rollers. The balls are held in the grooves H by any suitable means, suchas aspring l4 disposed between them, the balls being retained in arecess II, by a ring nut Ii. Plates ll are provided between the springand the balls.

When the guide straddles and follows the ridge or a stringer, as in thesecond form, it is found that one end of the guide may be shortened, asshown in Fig. 6, and this reduces the likelihood of crushing the ridgewhen the guide is moving up a curved surface.

The guide described causes thewrollers to place accurate lines of weldsin the stock, whether the welder be moved along the stock or the stockis moved past the rolls. When referring to the guides as roller guidesit will be understood that they function as well to guide the stock itthe rolls should occupy a fixed position. It will be assumed thatthestringers are accurately located on the sheet before welding as bytack welding while the parts are gauged or held in a templet.

While the invention has been described in specific form for purposes ofillustration it will be understood that there may be various embodimentswithin the limits of the prior art and the scope, of the subioinedclaims.

What is claimed is: g

1. Apparatus for keeping a roller and stock guide element in alignmentas for welding, comprising in combination, a roller, a guide, meansretaining the roller and guide together at all times and providingrelative turning movement therebetween during rotation of the roller,and means on the guide adapted to follow. the stock guide element duringrelative travel between the roller and stringer.

2. Apparatus for keeping a roller and stock guide element in alignmentas for welding, comprising in combination, a roller provided withannular retaining means, a guide provided with means securing it to theannular retaining means oi the roller and permitting rotation of theroller adapted to follow the stock guide element during relative travelbetween the roller and stringer.

3. Apparatus for keeping a roller and stock guide element in alignment,comprising in combination, a roller provided with an annular retainingelement on the side. a guide provided with a slot receiving said rollerand a retaining element riding along and retained by said retainingelement, and means on the guide riding along the stock guide element.

4. Apparatus for keeping a roller and stock guide element in alignment,comprising in combination, a roller provided with an annular retainingtrack on the side, a guide provided with a slot receiving said rollerand a retaining element riding along and retained by said track, andmeans on the guide riding along the stock guide element, said retainingmeans comprising a spring-pressed bail operating on the annular track ofthe roller.

5. Apparatus for keeping a roller and stock guide element such as astringer in alignment, comprising in combination, a roller provided withan annular retaining groovein the side, a guide provided with a slotreceiving said roller and a retaining element riding in said groove, andmeans on the guide riding along the stock guide element, said retainingmeans comprising a spring-pressed ball and the groove in the rollerbeing over-width to permit radial play between the roller and guide.

6. Apparatus for keeping a roller and stringer in alignment, comprisingin combination, a roller, and a guide secured thereon which rides on andguides along the stringer as the roller turns relative to the guide,said guide projecting a greater distance on one side of the stringerengaging point of the roller than on the other.

7. Apparatus for keeping rollers and a stringer in alignment, comprisingin combination, a pair of rollers, and a guide riding on the rollers anda stringer, said rollers having annular grooves in the side, said guidehaving retaining means in said grooves, and said guide having a groovefitting a ridge of the stringer between the rollers.

ARTHUR R. DIAMOND. WILLIAM SIEVER.

